JohnD
01-03-2011, 10:01 AM
And I'm not saying that's a bad thing, or a good thing. It could be either, really, but we'll have to wait and see.
But what it's done is show that Maryland was just spouting off when it came to the idea that it was time to "go from good to great." The number I really can't get past is the 1-16 record Edsall has against ranked teams. I'm actually real concerned with that. In addition, Edsall has gone on a steady 8-4 tear through the last three years. That's what Maryland has done two of the past three seasons under Friedgen, and is about the area I'm fine with them continuing to do. Unlike a lot of people, I have few illusions the school is good enough or serious enough about football to ever contend for a national title. The committment has never been there, and Edsall's hiring doesn't change my opinion about that. They went from one good coach to another, albeit one who is about 10 years younger.
Edsall has had some good teams at UCONN, but this year's team was only decent. That they went to a BCS game has more to do with the fact that the Big East had to send someone. If Maryland had played in that conference they would have gone to the Fiesta Bowl instead. In the past UCONN did a few good things with a QB named Dan Orlovsky who is now in the NFL. I suppose it's possible Danny O'Brien will do well under Edsall and his offense, though it remains to be seen I guess.
What is clear is that Maryland has the talent right now to be an ACC contender next year. It'll be a few years before we know whether it's a good hire, but we'll know real soon if it's a bad one. This team is set up to do some good things next year, even without Torrey Smith. The Terps have a number of talented WRs to fill the load with Smith gone. The O-line only loses one starter, and only Da'Rel Scott leaves the backfield. Edsall needs to win 9-10 games immediately with this squad. Doing so won't suggest he's going to be a great coach here, but it will give us reason to think it's not a bad move. The talent is definitely here to be in the running for an ACC Championship -- just like they were this year.
Defensively I really hope Don Brown is back. It remains a possibility. It would be foolish to not do everything possible to keep him.
But ultimately it's not a "sexy" hire and if firing Friedgen was a business decision, then this was a poor one. Edsall isn't going to boost season ticket sales. He's not going to get donors to go gung ho for football. He may have even upset Kevin Plank at Under Armour if Plank was as in the tank for Leach as we all believed. It's a tough argument to say it's an upgrade when you fire a guy who was 75-50 in the ACC for a guy who was 74-70 in a lesser conference. And again, 1-16 against ranked teams.
Edsall will have some advantages here at Maryland that he didn't have at UCONN, but will they be substantial enough? I'm leery, myself. Maryland isn't a big time program that makes fancy hires. It never has been. And with the chance to be daring, to really shoot for the moon with the football team, which the school made clear it wanted from its football coach, it went conservative and took the safe pick. Once again. Now even those who wanted Friedgen gone are upset. In the end it seems like the school made noise about going big time, but when given the chance to think about the committment that entails, decided treading water wasn't so bad. It's a lateral move for the school, and only slightly better for Edsall, who has had his name mentioned to other, bigger teams before.
In the end this is a reality check for those of you who think Maryland is only a coach away from national prominence. It's not. And Maryland reinforced that notion with this hire. And the idea that Maryland was going to land a coach who could take them into the Top 10 routinely was lunacy. Maryland simply doesn't get those kind of coaches for football. Now, it's not a bad hire. Edsall will win more games than he loses. But I have a feeling Maryland's pecking order in the ACC won't change, either in terms of reputation or success. I'd love to be surprised. But I'm expecting status quo.
But what it's done is show that Maryland was just spouting off when it came to the idea that it was time to "go from good to great." The number I really can't get past is the 1-16 record Edsall has against ranked teams. I'm actually real concerned with that. In addition, Edsall has gone on a steady 8-4 tear through the last three years. That's what Maryland has done two of the past three seasons under Friedgen, and is about the area I'm fine with them continuing to do. Unlike a lot of people, I have few illusions the school is good enough or serious enough about football to ever contend for a national title. The committment has never been there, and Edsall's hiring doesn't change my opinion about that. They went from one good coach to another, albeit one who is about 10 years younger.
Edsall has had some good teams at UCONN, but this year's team was only decent. That they went to a BCS game has more to do with the fact that the Big East had to send someone. If Maryland had played in that conference they would have gone to the Fiesta Bowl instead. In the past UCONN did a few good things with a QB named Dan Orlovsky who is now in the NFL. I suppose it's possible Danny O'Brien will do well under Edsall and his offense, though it remains to be seen I guess.
What is clear is that Maryland has the talent right now to be an ACC contender next year. It'll be a few years before we know whether it's a good hire, but we'll know real soon if it's a bad one. This team is set up to do some good things next year, even without Torrey Smith. The Terps have a number of talented WRs to fill the load with Smith gone. The O-line only loses one starter, and only Da'Rel Scott leaves the backfield. Edsall needs to win 9-10 games immediately with this squad. Doing so won't suggest he's going to be a great coach here, but it will give us reason to think it's not a bad move. The talent is definitely here to be in the running for an ACC Championship -- just like they were this year.
Defensively I really hope Don Brown is back. It remains a possibility. It would be foolish to not do everything possible to keep him.
But ultimately it's not a "sexy" hire and if firing Friedgen was a business decision, then this was a poor one. Edsall isn't going to boost season ticket sales. He's not going to get donors to go gung ho for football. He may have even upset Kevin Plank at Under Armour if Plank was as in the tank for Leach as we all believed. It's a tough argument to say it's an upgrade when you fire a guy who was 75-50 in the ACC for a guy who was 74-70 in a lesser conference. And again, 1-16 against ranked teams.
Edsall will have some advantages here at Maryland that he didn't have at UCONN, but will they be substantial enough? I'm leery, myself. Maryland isn't a big time program that makes fancy hires. It never has been. And with the chance to be daring, to really shoot for the moon with the football team, which the school made clear it wanted from its football coach, it went conservative and took the safe pick. Once again. Now even those who wanted Friedgen gone are upset. In the end it seems like the school made noise about going big time, but when given the chance to think about the committment that entails, decided treading water wasn't so bad. It's a lateral move for the school, and only slightly better for Edsall, who has had his name mentioned to other, bigger teams before.
In the end this is a reality check for those of you who think Maryland is only a coach away from national prominence. It's not. And Maryland reinforced that notion with this hire. And the idea that Maryland was going to land a coach who could take them into the Top 10 routinely was lunacy. Maryland simply doesn't get those kind of coaches for football. Now, it's not a bad hire. Edsall will win more games than he loses. But I have a feeling Maryland's pecking order in the ACC won't change, either in terms of reputation or success. I'd love to be surprised. But I'm expecting status quo.